Michael McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I already offered to do that. I'd be willing to sit with the Member and the leadership of the Tlicho to discuss this. There are a number of concerns that come to the forefront, and we have relayed this to the Member. The contractors have raised the issue of us going into an area where they could go as private contractors. There is land jurisdiction that is a concern. Anything off of our highway right-of-way is a jurisdiction that could possibly be federal land, or it could be Commissioner's land. We need authorization to go onto that land. We may...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Again, that is quite outside this bill. However, we don’t look after the CARS contract anymore. That responsibility is through NAV Canada. They have gone to a private company to administer this program. So that responsibility is no longer ours.

If they don't want to go out on the land, ask them to go. If they're the problem, take them on the land with you. It's just too big of a problem to keep ignoring. Kids nowadays have a whole world of opportunity in front of them, a whole world. If they want to go to school, they can be anything they want and this government will support them. I've seen that firsthand. As long as you don't apply 24 hours too late.

---Laughter

Those out there that supply the alcohol and drugs to these young children, you've got to be ashamed of yourself. I'm real curious to know what the view from the bottom...

Mr. Chair, again, this is outside of this act. I am trying to get information as we go here, but, Mr. Chair, there is the ability to access the airside through a different legislation that is administered by the federal government. Our airport managers are authorized to grant a permit to do so. There are rules around it. However, that information is being circulated to the different airport authorities. We also have had our staff go into the community of Tuktoyaktuk to provide that information.

Mr. Chair, the authority for vehicles to go onto the airside of an airport is not in this legislation. This legislation is intended to reflect authority over the groundside of the airport. However, having had the question raised to us at the committee and also a letter from Mr. Pokiak, we did take a look at it and review the Aeronautics Act that governs the airside of the airport. There is allowance for the airport manager to authorize vehicles to go on. We have had our staff go into Tuktoyaktuk to talk to the individual there and also the airport people. We will make that information...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to present for your consideration Bill 14, Public Airports Act.

In 1990, the federal government devolved the authority for the smaller airports in the Northwest Territories, also referred to as the Arctic B and C airports, to the territorial government. A similar process transferred the six larger, or Arctic A, airports in 1995.

Since that time, the Government of the Northwest Territories has been operating these public airports through the powers granted by the airport devolution agreements, the Commissioner's airport lands regulations, and the Financial...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we always give first consideration to the local companies in the area. We have done so with the Sahtu contractors. We have also had, actually, several sit-down meetings with a number of the companies. We will continue to do so. The requirement for additional investment is, of course, a concern. We will not be looking at going outside of the region, or we will probably look at a process that will allow us to have northern bidders or an RFP, for that matter. As to additional dollars, we may have to look at moving dollars from another project or...

Mr. Speaker, we are doing an assessment of the gravel needs in the community. Transportation has taken the lead on some of this stuff to provide the stockpiling. I couldn’t tell you right now whether that is going to happen in Tuk this year. We have to do an assessment with all of the different departments and see what their needs are in terms of requirements for this coming fiscal year. I will have to get back to the Member as to if there will be a stockpiling program or not this year. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the community of Tuktoyaktuk and several representatives had talked about the possibility of looking at an option of entering into an agreement to sign a P3 project that would provide gravel to the community on a cost-recovery basis. The first step in doing that was to do an assessment of how much gravel was needed in the community. We’ve done some very conservative estimates. That number is 200,000 cubic metres. That doesn’t include the requirements for erosion control, for the Inuvik-Tuk highway, for other growth in the community. We know there is a...

Madam Chair, I guess this is what we’re trying to resolve here with this new act. We’re trying to put an act in place that will cover a number of acts that we fall under that we’re not clear. In this new legislation, the rules are very clear; they’re spelled out how things should be operating. The duties fall under the airport managers to enforce. If that does not follow through, the appeal process would either go to the deputy minister or myself as a Minister, or whoever the Minister of the day is. The first stop would be through the airport manager, but failing that, of course, is the...